The Ealing Readers’ Book Award

Since 2009 Cardinal Wiseman has joined with other secondary schools in Ealing to choose the Ealing Readers’ Book Award. Every student in KS3 across the borough is encouraged to nominate their favourite book, published in that year. A shortlist is drawn up of the most popular books nominated. Each school sets up a panel of readers who must read all the nominated books. Being part of the Reading Panel requires students to read the books and to attend regular meetings to discuss the nominations. During the Summer Term the reading panels meet at a special event in one of the Ealing High Schools.

Young Geographer of the Year

In the autumn term, the Cardinal Wiseman Geography Department enter a number of students for the Young Geographer of the Year competition run by the Royal Geographical Society. It is a fantastic opportunity for students to push themselves outside the classroom, to develop their investigative and communication skills and to have their ideas on a highly topical and important global geographical issue recognised and heard. Geography at Cardinal Wiseman “is all about the future” and this competition encompasses this ethos. Students in Y7, Y8 and Y13 produce written essays and annotate maps whilst others make videos discussing the topic and a model to illustrate the before and after of deforestation. The standard is always incredibly high with three hundred students submitting work. It was therefore fantastic news that an entry from the school won a “Highly Commended Award.” This student attended the awards ceremony at the Royal Geographical Society and were presented their award by Benedict Allen, one of Britain’s leading adventurers and explorers.

Spelling Bee

The Modern Foreign Language Department annually run a Spelling Bee competition for Year 7 students. Students learn a number of words from the language they are studying and are then tested. Last year two students from Cardinal Wiseman reached the national final in Cambridge.